RFDS Birdsville Races Gala

Diamantina Shire Council Mayor, Councillor Francis Murray and Councillors; CEO Ms Julianne Meier and staff; Royal Flying Doctors Service staff and supporters; Birdsville Race Club, President, Mr David Brook OAM, Vice President, Mr Gary Brook, Life Member and Wangkangurru Yarluyandi Elder, Mr Don Rowlands, 2025 Birdsville Races Ambassador, Ms Grace Hayden; distinguished guests; ladies and gentlemen.

I begin by acknowledging the Original Custodians of the lands around Birdsville, the Wangkangurru and Yarluyandi peoples, and I pay my respects to their Elders past, present and emerging, and to all First Nations people here this evening.

Graeme and I are delighted to be with you for tonight’s Gala and we are so looking forward to attending the Birdsville Cup on Saturday.

One of the pledges I made when I was sworn in as Governor was to serve, acknowledge and support Queenslanders wherever they may live, so I am very pleased that this year, I have been able to make my first official visit to the Diamantina Shire.

The Shire and the river that runs through it have a long, historic connection to the role of Governor because both are named after Lady Diamantina Bowen, the wife of Queensland’s very first Governor, Sir George Bowen. Lady Diamantina didn’t ever see the river named after her, and the difficulty of reaching this part of our State has remained a challenge for every one of Sir George’s 26 successors as Governor.

And so, I am particularly pleased that the Birdsville Races have provided me with an added incentive to travel to this vast and remote region. My visit to this region enables me to meet and listen to the men and women who live and work here, and to ensure that their concerns are heard.

And this evening’s event allows me to encourage people––and not just those who live here, but the many out-of-town visitors who attend––to give their full support to the Royal Flying Doctor Service, of which Graeme and I are Joint Patrons here in Queensland.

Every year, this extraordinary three-day event raises hundreds of thousands of dollars that are vital to the continued operation of the Service, and I urge you to continue your generosity this year.

Beyond my patronage I do this because, as a doctor, aeromedical services are something very close to my heart. One of my first actions when I became Queensland’s Chief Health Officer in 2005 was to oversee a major restructure that included the establishment of Retrieval Services Queensland as the first state-wide, centralised retrieval and transfer service.

Until then, aeromedical services in Queensland had been provided by several different organisations, but Retrieval Services Queensland gave sick and injured patients greatly improved access to treatment and transfer and the best possible chance of a positive outcome.

Working with the RFDS and LifeFlight to establish our State’s world-class service remains one of the proudest achievements of my tenure as Chief Health Officer, so you can understand my passion and continued commitment to ensuring that Queenslanders, wherever they live, have access to the best possible care.

You may be a local, or one of the several thousand visitors who have come here from around the world. You may be staying in the iconic Birdsville Hotel, or in a tent pitched on the Birdsville common. You may have parked your plane on the airstrip or have driven into town in your camper van. However you came to be here tonight, I know this will be the experience of a lifetime and will produce many wonderful memories.

At the very first Birdsville Races in 1882, the winner of both the main race and the maiden plate was a horse called ‘Bedouin’. For our own desert wanderers, the thousands of travellers who have found their way here for this unique gathering, I hope that augurs well for success at the track, a wonderful stay in Diamantina Shire, and most importantly a safe journey home.

Enjoy your evening!